What is terrain?
In Naturopathic
Medicine there is the idea of the "terrain." You may be familiar with
the term terrain and how it relates to geography and description of a
landscape, but you may not have heard it applied to people. Terrain in regards
to a person is a way of describing the underlying health of a person and how
they relate to possible diseases or infections. Just like a healthy terrain of
land allows a healthy ecosystem that is more resistant to disease and disaster,
so too cultivating a healthy personal terrain helps to improve resistance to
disease.
How do I improve my terrain?
One of the first
priorities when it comes to cultivating a healthy personal terrain is avoiding
or detoxifying toxins. This is especially relevant in our modern era where we
are exposed every day to far more toxins than in our past.
Toxins can be found in cosmetic and bathing products (soap, shampoo, makeup,
etc), in the air around us (VOCs, pesticides, smoke, etc), in our furniture and
car seats (flame retardant mostly), in
our food supply (herbicides/pesticides, chemical fertilizer, heavy
metals), and in our water (most of the
same things found in food, plus drugs that have leached into the water supply).
How do I limit
toxins' effects on my terrain? First rule is obvious- avoid, avoid, avoid!
Whenever possible buy things that are organic or that list the toxins that they
avoid using in their products- this includes cosmetics, bathing products,
sunscreen, food, and anything else you put in or on your body. Sometimes toxins are
unavoidable, in which case it is the responsibility of the consumer to do their
research and find the least toxic option. I absolutely adore the Environmental
Working Group (EWG). This is an organization that does research on behalf of
consumers regarding toxins in food, sunscreens, car seats, and much more. Visit
their website if you're not familiar with them. Many of their lists get updated
yearly (like the Dirty Dozen- the most heavily contaminated produce items).
A good quality water filter is also absolutely a recommendation. There are a
million options, so thank goodness the EWG helps again!.
Next is the rule of
detox. This is where Naturopathic Medicine can shine in a million ways.
Depending on what toxins we are concerned about there are many specific
treatments that can help to bind and eliminate specific toxins. If you think
you have a major exposure, please contact your local licensed ND for further
testing and treatment. Most humans on earth have at least some toxins so here
are some ideas that are safe for almost everyone that can help to reduce your
toxic burden:
Water- as long as your water is not contaminated
(see link above for resources regarding water filters). Water is your kidney's
best friend. All water soluble toxins eventually land at the kidneys. Kidneys
work by filtering your blood and then pushing the toxins out with fluid that we
know as urine. However, if you don't have enough circulating fluid in your body
(i.e. you're dehydrated), then the kidneys will hold on to toxins or send them
back into circulation until they have enough fluid to flush them out. If the
poor kidneys never have enough fluid then the toxins stay put in the body and
continue to cause disease. A good general rule of thumb is that most people
should aim for consuming half their body weight in oz daily of water. If you
suffer from any major heart or kidney disease please follow your medical
provider's recommendations. What counts towards "water" intake?
Mainly just water but herbal tea or sparkling water also count. What doesn't count?
Coffee, soda, other caffeinated/sweetened beverages (yes this includes
artificial sweeteners which are toxins in their own right). When in doubt, just
DRINK WATER!
Vegetables!!
and high fiber- again, as long as you're buying quality vegetables and food (or
better yet grown your own if you're able), vegetables can provide some powerful
detox support. Fiber, especially soluble fiber,
binds to toxins right in the gut and can prevent them ever being absorbed in
the first place. Fiber also acts as prebiotic or food to help support a healthy
GI ecosystem of bacteria/yeast/viruses in your gut- remember that you have more
cells of other organisms living in your gut than you do cells in your body!
Keeping those healthy bacteria in good repair helps with your nutrition
(bacteria make some vitamins!) and prevention of new "bad" bugs
coming in and taking over. "Stinky" food like garlic, onions, and
herbs/spices are also amazing support for a healthy gut therefore a healthy
immune system. Many of the same high fiber vegetables also contain high levels
of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants help to clean up your body's free radicals
(think of these like the vandals of the body) which in turn allow all of your
cells to function with less stress so they can be the strong army that they
need to be!
Movement
and sweat! Physical activity should be a part of your daily life. Focus
especially getting heart rate up for a sustained period (don't exceed a level
that you can still carry on a conversation without checking with your
healthcare provider). This activity helps
stimulate circulation which pumps toxins out and fresh cells and oxygen
in! Sweating is another fantastic benefit to exercise or other options such as
sauna therapy (check with your healthcare provider first) can be an amazing
boost to detox. There is good evidence that it also raises body temperature
which can stimulate the immune system.
We hope that these
recommendations provide some simple tools that you can implement daily to
improve your terrain. Remember that the more you can do to support your
baseline health the better equipped and able your body will be to fight off
infections of all kinds. Just because there's a pandemic doesn't mean you get
to ignore your chronic illnesses or treat your body badly. In fact, when
infection is rampant is the perfect time to step up your self care and check in
with your licensed Naturopathic Physician or other educated holistic healthcare
provider for added support and management recommendations. Cultivate a healthy
terrain for true health!
